Simple Moments
by Driftinglullaby
Summary: In a single, simple moment his entire life came crashing to the ground. Because sometimes when you fall, you don't always get back up.
1. Fallen

_Simple moments can ruin your whole life. Everything you have worked for can be torn down in a matter of seconds. That's the cruel truth of life. Even if you worked for 5 or 50 years, in a matter of seconds, your entire life can be torn apart, ripped to shreds and tossed aside like it's nothing at all._

* * *

The roar of the fans, the sound of your blood pumping into your ears, that's something that comes with the game. It's what he _loved._Then again, he did like the feeling of flying. Every game he would fly down the field, his feet barely touching the grass beneath him. He couldn't really decide what was better. So when his mother told him football was dangerous and that he should stop before he got hurt, he just ignored everything. After all, you can't stop a runner from running, right? That would just be cruel.

Sena was all to familiar with the feeling of falling. He'd be running and a hand or a body would step into his path of running and stop him. Most of the time he was able to get around them without any real trouble, but some players could snatch the speeding bullet. Usually he'd just fall and then get right back up. That's how it worked, absorb the fall and get back up. Don't stop, don't think about it. Just do it.

All around him the entire crowd, the coaches, the players both on his team and on the other team watched in horror. You can tell when someone falls like that, they won't be getting up. And true to that, Kobayakawa Sena did not get up again. Instead, he lay on the ground looking at the sky. Admiring the blueness of it. His awareness seemed to slip and he didn't notice or realize what had and was happening around him.

Moments before, he had broken through the line and was heading toward the End Zone with a clear run. No one stood in his way. The familiar feeling was comforting to him. Until he felt someone hit his back. the speeding running back was down. He felt and heard the snap as the helmet went flying into the air and rolled on the ground a few feet from him, but the momentum Sena had had from running was too great. The small body was tossed into the air and came back down. Like bouncy ball almost.

His legs tangled up and he felt pain tear through him as they twisted in an odd direction, his head snapped against the ground. The small boy didn't even whimper as his body finally came to a tumbling stop. And he lay there, simply staring at the sky.

All around him were screams. Some from the fans, some from the team, a few from the opponent. The first person at his side was the man who had tackled him. Sena looked up at him with some recognition in his eyes, a small smile playing at his pale lips.

"Shin-san."

Shin flinched as Sena said his name but said nothing, mearly kneeling by the boys said. It wasn't that he didn't want to touch the small, broken figure before him. It was rather that he couldn't. Like he didn't know what to do. Next to rush to Sena was Hiruma. Sporting a rather large assault rifle. The blond stared down at his running back with a serious expression. Sena thought for a moment as he stared into the quarter backs eyes, is that worry in Hiruma's eyes? That made Sena smile.

"What're you smiling at, fucking chibi," Sena would later recall that Hiruma's voice had cracked. Like he wanted to cry. He would also recall Mamori nee-sans voice calling an ambulance for him. That was odd, he thought, why would they need an ambulance?

Sena tried to voice his question, opening his mouth to speak. But nothing came out. Well, nothing he could hear. As the adrenaline from the game was beginning to fade, the pain began to appear. Sean gave a small scream. Feeling a numbness in one of his legs and a searing pain in the other. And his head hurt, oh how his head hurt. It was like falling down the stairs and getting back up only to fall down yet another flight of stairs.

It _hurt._ The pain from falling was nothing compared to this. It really, really hurt. And Sena did what any normal person's body would, it began to shut down. Wanting to blockade the pain from becoming too much to bare, it simply stopped thinking all together, stopped working.

Hiruma swore a string of curses as he watched Sena's eyes begin to close, "Damn it fucking shorty! Stay fucking awake! Don't you fucking dare close your eyes!"

But Sena was too far gone already. His entire body went limp just as the paramedics reached him. As his neck was secured in a brace, they managed to get him onto a stretcher before loading him into the ambulance and speeding out of there, lights and sirens blaring in the silence of the field. Everyone on the field and in the stands was silent. Their heads hung low as they began to slowly trudge out of the stadium, the game was cancelled.

Sean's parents were contacted and the entire team rushed over to the hospital. Sena was in the ICU, intensive care unit, attached to a bunch of beeping machines and wires. His legs were bandaged up in castes and a neck brace around his neck. No one said a word, except for Monta who broke out in tears. Mamori had to wrap her arms around him to help comfort him, but she too was looking pale and horrified. But most certainly not as pale as the limp figure on the bed.

Looking through the glass and watching with a forlorn expression was Shin. His mind racing at the thought of what he had just done. He couldn't take it anymore and stormed out of the hospital, gritting his teeth in misery. Hiruma had seen Shin. His narrow eyes had watched as the man fled the hospital. But he didn't care. No, Hiruma turned his attention to the runningback in the bed. Of course he wouldn't tell anyone this, but he felt just as guilty as Shin. And in all truth, he wanted nothing more than for everyone to leave so he could curl up in a chair next to Sena. hoping and maybe praying to a God if their was one. Hoping that maybe, Sena would open his eyes again.

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My second fanfic~! I'm not sure if I'll just leave it like this or add a chapter. I'll most likely continue it. Anywho, I don't own Eyeshield 21! And sorry for the spelling, I fixed what I could. If you see anymore mistakes, feel free to tell me! P.S. That is MOST I have ever used the word fucking in one sentence. Hiruma's a potty mouth... XD


	2. Blinding

**Authors Note: **Wow, I'm actually going to continue this! This might be a little fast paced, sorry!

**Disclaimer:** As much as I'd like to own Eyeshield 21 and all its delicious characters, I don't.

"**Seems that I have been held, in some dreaming state**

**A tourist in the waking world, never quite awake**

**No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber**

**Until I realize that it was you who held me under"**

**Florence and the Machine – "Blinding"**

He had grown used to the feint beeping of machines, the blindingly bright walls, and the sterile atmosphere. He was here every day. Watching, waiting. Praying to anything, or anyone that would listen to his pathetic attempts at prayer, that the limp and frail figure on the bed would stir from his endless slumber and wake up.

But every day, it was the same thing.

The distant beeping, no changes.

A nurse wandered in, she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Visiting hours are over, Shin-san. Please go home."

He blinked and looked at the clock; the hands had long since passed the five o' clock mark. Ending the visiting hours for everyone.

Shin stood slowly, his massive build looming over the nurse as she watched him steadily. She finally turned to leave as he followed in suit, pausing at the doorway to cast a lone, sorrowful glance at the figure in the bed.

I thought you were stronger than this, Eyeshield. Are you not waking up… because of me?

His thoughts ended abruptly. He had been told countless times that this was not his fault. That American football carried many risks. Even the Kobayakawa family held no anger towards him for the tackle that had put their son into a coma.

Why did no one blame him?

He blamed himself. How was he expected to move on so easily when his only rival lay broken?

No one seemed to understand.

Shin left the hospital. He picked up a jog, deciding that running would be the best way to shake off these feelings, and perhaps, clear his conscious.

**Hiruma **

The clouds rolled across the open sea. Yeah, the sky looked a lot like the sea. Blue, vast, never ending. And sometimes, it got stormy. Just like the heart can get stormy too.

Hiruma mentally slapped himself and grounded the toothpick in mouth even harder. He glared at one of his players, screeching at Monta to move faster before he blasted his fucking head off into oblivion.

Yep, just like any other day.

It was hard, ya know? Not thinking about the spiky hair that would flash from one end of the field to the other, dodging tackles only to end falling on his own, tripping on his own feet.

But he always got back up.

Yeah, well, it seems that method of thinking would have to change. The truth of the matter is Sena had not gotten back up. He was not playing on the field with his team.

And everything was not normal.

The clouds rolled across the vast sea, never ending and never changing. But everything had gone quiet, and Hiruma brought his narrow eyes on his team. They stared back at him, some sort of emotion in their eyes.

Pity. Sadness. It seemed that even morons could feel it when things weren't normal. He cocked his AK-47 to the side before pulling it from his shoulder and pointing at Monta. The wide receivers', eyes widened for a moment before Hiruma let the bullets fly.

"The fuck do you think you're doing? I didn't tell you to stop you dumbass!" The younger yelped and dodged the array of bullets, hurling himself off the side and scrambling up to resume his drills.

Everyone else, not wanting to look like Swiss cheese, decided to do the same. Mamori simply watched the arrogant blonde quietly before turning and sitting down on the bench, flipping through some papers in silence.

She too, had been quiet lately.

**1 week later, 3 months after the accident**

Bright, sterile. Too many white walls. Blinding.

The thought process wasn't working well. It started, only to get choppy. And he would linger on certain words. Like Choppy.

Choppy, jerky. Sudden. Cut up.

Something willed his eyes to open, but he was tired. Still so tired. He tested his body. Hands, he wiggled his fingers easily. Arms, he shifted them without much trouble. Head, his head turned slightly with difficulty, but it moved.

Legs. His legs wouldn't move. His toes wouldn't wiggle. And he panicked. His eyes flew open, brown eyes searched the ceiling for a moment before he tried to sit up. The heart monitor screeching wildly as his heart escalated with his terror.

Muscles protested when he finally sat up, his body burned. It ached. But he was healed, so why? Why did his legs not move?

Tears stung at the back of his eyes as he slapped the skin, trying to get his legs to work. But it tingled only for a moment before going back to nothing.

Panic continued to bubble his chest and several people burst into his room.

The doctors looked amazed at him, the nurse in awe. But the sound of his racing heart monitor put them into action. They tried to get him to lay back, but he screamed at them and clawed madly at the arms that tried to hold him back.

He wanted to talk, but his voice wasn't functioning. So he settled for the universal meaning of fear. He screamed at first. And it raised the hairs on the necks of everyone who heard it.

It was terror in the most primal form. Sena quieted a bit, the nurse rubbing circles on his back as he buried his face in his hands. A doctor came in with a shot and added it into the IV. Sena's eyes rolled back, and he felt himself being tugged back under the waters.

The black, cold waters. They washed over him, and he sank lower and lower, until he could finally no longer see the surface. The light was gone, and so was he.

The doctors looked at one another uneasily, "Call his parents."

The nurse nodded and left to do just that.

The Kobayakawa's were fast in getting to the hospital. Both worried and excited about the waking of their son. They met Hiruma and Mamori in the entrance way. No one said anything; they simply nodded and walked briskly to the doctor. Sena's doctor stared at them with tired eyes, the bandages around his hands caught Hiruma's attention and he stared at them.

"Err…this was Sena-kun's doing. He woke up suddenly and had a panic attack, though he has been stabilized now."

Sena's parents looked horrified, Hiruma and Mamori looked grim. The doctor cleared his throat, "We belive it would be within his best interest as well as yours if someone stayed with him. We would have a nurse or another doctor do it, but someone with whom he is familiar with would be best."

"I'll do it."

Everyone looked at Hiruma who just stared straight ahead into the doctor's eyes, "I will stay with him."

Sena's parents nodded in time, "Yes… that would be best. Sena and Hiruma-kun have been very close."

Mamori narrowed her eyes but said nothing, lately, she seemed to be doing a lot of that.

The doctor agreed, and Hiruma brushed past him and down to Sena's room. The small athlete lay motionless in his bed as usual. The brown spikes dull and matted against the pillow.

He flopped down in the chair next to the bed, watching the small brunette for a moment before turning his eyes to the clock, slowly watching the hands tick by and time pass.

Hours passed easily. And the hands stood at the 11, the window was dark, making it clear that it was late into the night.

Something rustled, and Hiruma snapped his attention to the figure on the bed. Small, brown eyes opened slowly, blinking once or twice before seeing Hiruma. There was a sharp intake of breath, and Sena's eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights.

They reminded Hiruma of a doe.

Neither said anything, simply staring at one another until Sena said something.

His voice was scratchy, and dry. And it sounded as if he was using too much effort to speak.

"Hiruma-san…water?"

Hiruma eyed him for a minute before a grin threatened to split his face in two as he handed the smaller boy a glass of water, bbying him and pressing it to the younger's lips himself. The small male drank the water happily, paying mild attention to the sadistic blonde.

"Welcome back to earth, fucking chibi."


	3. Why

**You always played with passion, no matter what the game.**

** When you took the stage, you shined just like the sun.**

**Rascal Flatts "Why" **

Sena hated therapy. He hated feeling so weak, so useless. He'd been so fast before, faster than a bullet train! But now, he was reduced to using a wheelchair to get around.

His therapist cooed at him, encouraging him to try and wiggle his toes. It was useless. So much so that he wanted to scream in anger. The gentleness of his personality prevented him from doing so however, so he settled for frustrated tears.

To be honest, they had been building up for a while now. His throat tightened and he lost his vision to blurry water. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all. He hated being this weak, but what else could he do? The therapist seemed to notice his frustration, and most certainly noticed his tears. She asked if he'd like to take a break, to which he promptly answered in the affirmative.

On an average day, his friends from the team would all be there to help support him. Lately, he found himself wanting them to just go away. To leave him alone. He didn't need their pity, he didn't want. Seeing Shin-san was the worst of all. The older teen was haggard looking, tired and guilty. It made Sena sick, to be honest.

He wheeled himself to the window of the therapy room which was open, and enjoyed the fresh air that caressed his face gently. This was all so messed up. To see the people he considered the strongest, the most fearsome, reduced to looks of pity and guilt. It was all directed at him, of course. They tried to hide it, really, they did. But Sena, for all his clumsy mistakes and sheepish grins, was no fool. He saw the looks, the silent gestures.

Sena loosened his grip on the arms of the wheelchair and eased back, realizing he was pitching forward in his turmoil. The tears he'd spilt earlier dried on his cheeks and he sniffled lightly. Class would be out soon, and the two most loyal people during this entire ordeal would be right back at his side. Shin and Hiruma. Sure, the two were polar opposites. Not just to one another, but to him as well. But they got along, for the most part. Sometimes he'd catch Hiruma throwing an unjust glare Shin's way. For the most part, though, they were the silent hands that steadied him.

The therapist came back in. They tried the exercise, again. Sena found that he still had no movement in either one of his legs from his waist down, again. Little by little, the runningback's spirit broke with every failed attempt, again. The door to the room was opened as the lady left, scribbling down some notes about his failure, no doubt.

Anther figure stepped in to the room, bubblegum popping as he came closer to the figure in the wheelchair. Sena didn't have to turn to see who it was. Hiruma popped his bubble again as he leaned against the wall in front of Sena. The younger's bottom lip quivered before he finally started shaking. Hiruma said nothing. He just stepped forward and leaned down, wrapping his arms around the younger and hugging him tightly. It was out of character, something he didn't do for anyone. But Sena wasn't just anyone. Sena was…Sena.

From the doorway Shin watched in agony as the smell of salty tears and the sound of sobs was carried to him on the warm breeze.

**2 months later**

Hiruma sat in the waiting room, hands folded behind his head, eyes closed. Shin sat across from him, staring at some point on the wall. The doctor stepped out of the operating room, approaching Sena's parents first, a tired smile on his face.

Yes, their son was OK.

No, nothing went wrong.

No, they couldn't be sure if it would work, but they had tried. At least they had tried.

Hiruma cracked an eye open at that, watching the reactions of the rest of the team before eyeing Shin. The teen's broad shoulders were hunched, his hair shadowing his eyes. It wasn't hard to tell what he was thinking. They were all thinking the same. What if this didn't work? If the surgery didn't work, Sena would waste away. He had been for the past several months since the accident. No one wanted to see the little brunette waste away anymore. It wasn't right. So the doctor had approached them with something that could help, though they wouldn't know for sure.

Hiruma hadn't listened to all that fancy medical shit. So all he'd really heard was that they were going to do something with the kid's spine. Set back in place, fix some nerves. Something of the sort to get him going again. But it had never been done before, they weren't even sure if it could be done. But they had to try.

And so Hiruma found himself back in that uncomfortable plastic chair at Sena's bedside, popping his bubblegum, much to Shin and the nurses' annoyance. Good, served them right.

When Sena did open his eyes, the first thing he saw were the piercing eyes of Hiruma. They had a strange look in them that Sena couldn't place, and he wasn't all that sure he wanted to. The doctor had promptly interrupted the moment of silent staring and scrutinizing by coming in to explain what the surgery was supposed to do.

After the man had left, Sena was once again quivering. He was told that he would not be able to move his toes or lower body in any way for a while. Rather, that he shouldn't attempt to. He needed to let himself heal, of course. At some point, Hiruma did have to step out for a bathroom break. This reminded Sena that his boisterous, sadistic captain was indeed human. Sometimes Sena had to tell himself that Hiruma was his captain and was there out of obligation, not because he was acting like a bodyguard or anything. Heaven forbid as a friend.

Shin chose that moment to slip into the room. He silent eyes found Sena's and the too stared at one another.

"It wasn't your fault. I forgave you a long time ago, Shin-san." Sena murmured softly.

"I know. But I haven't."

And with that, the older promptly left. Turning on his heel and smoothly leaving the room. Sena thought that maybe that was his way of checking up to see if the brunette was okay. Sena also thought that his constant vigilance over the injured player was Shin's own way of punishing himself.

It happened 2 weeks after the surgery. Sena had been sitting in the hospital bed, the sheets pulled back because it was warm and the window was open. Hiruma had been, as usual, watching him with an unreadable expression. That same, strange emotion flitting through his eyes.

The incident reminded Hiruma why he never closed his eyes around Sena. Because then he wouldn't be able to see things like this. Sena had been staring at his legs intently, waiting for something, anything, to happen. And then he shrieked in delight. His toes were moving. Sena's toes were _wiggling_.

Hiruma found his own eyes widening at the sight. Sena was going crazy, laughing and smiling, etars building in his eyes because he was just _so damn happy._ The nurses rushed in and Sena's parents were called in too. Sena could move his toes. Sena wasn't paralyzed. Those brown, doe like eyes were lighting up with warmth for the first time in months. It made Hiruma ache to see it again. To hear that laugh.

He may not have been up and running faster than a bullet train, may not have been elicting cries from thousands of fans at home and in the stadium, but for now it was enough.

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**Note: **would you look at that, I updated, yaaaaaaay! Anywho, it's moving pretty quick, I guess. And for that, I apologize. this'll be moving into a light Hiruma/Sena fic. If you're against that, I'm sorry. the hints have been there all along, I believe. If it's any consolation, it's gonna be subtle and light. Fluffy, almost. Anywho, till next time my lovelies. Drop me a review, would'ya? ;P


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